Arts Council of Wales expresses sadness at death of Meic Stephens

The Arts Council of Wales today expressed its sadness at the news of the death of Meic Stephens, literary critic, scholar, obituarist and author, translator and editor of around 170 books.
03 Jul 2018

Meic Stephens

A native of Trefforest near Pontypridd, he studied at the University of Wales in both Aberystwyth and Bangor, as well as the University of Rennes in Brittany. During the mid-1960s he spent four years teaching French in a secondary school in Ebbw Vale, and during this period established the periodical Poetry Wales.

For a quarter of a century he was Literature Director of the Arts Council for Wales and during this time, edited both Welsh and English versions of what remains perhaps his best known work Y Cydymaith i Lenyddiaeth Cymru / The Oxford Companion to the Literature of Wales.

Phil George, Chair of the Arts Council of Wales said today:

"Meic’s scholarly and creative contribution to the literary life of Wales during the past half a century and more is of very great significance and stands as a tribute to his drive, ambition and prodigious work rate in the service of Wales and of Wales’ literature in both Welsh and English.

"His poetry anthologies and the creation of Poetry Wales was seminal in the development of a confident contemporary tradition in English language Welsh poetry and the Companion / Cydymaith is simply indispensable.

"His contribution to the literary life of Wales was recognised in May of this year when he was inaugurated as a fellow at the University of Aberystwyth. His legacy will undoubtedly live on in the substantial body of literary work he leaves behind him and in the on-going work of the authors, poets and students he taught and influenced over a period of many decades."